Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees: Odds, Prediction
It’s third place against second from the AL East to open a series on Monday night as the Toronto Blue Jays make their first visit of the season to the Yankees. New York is a -200 favourite on the MLB odds with a total of 8.5 runs.
Betting Analysis
Will the AL East be a two-team race this season or will the Blue Jays get themselves back in it? They are sitting 9.5 games behind first-place and scorching-hot Tampa Bay, while New York is three games back of the Rays in second. The Yankees are -260 division favourites, however, with the Rays at +290 and Blue Jays +1800.
The Bombers got some potentially terrible news last week when ace lefty Max Fried went down with elbow problems. He was placed on the 15-day IL, but the good news for now is that Fried will not need surgery. But there’s no timetable for his return. Fried was among the AL Cy Young favourites. Teammate and second-year pitcher Cam Schlittler is the current +175 favourite and scheduled for Wednesday’s game. Three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge is the -130 favourite to win another.
New York will get a major boost perhaps as early as this weekend with 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole expected to make his season debut of a serious injury that has kept the righty off a big-league mound since the 2024 playoffs. Cole will have one more minor-league rehab start and then be activated.
Monday marks the first meeting of the season between the clubs. Toronto was 3-5 at Yankee Stadium in 2025.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays made a trade on Sunday, sending lefty pitcher Eric Lauer to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations. Lauer was so vital to the success of the 2025 team but had really struggled this year and designated for assignment by Toronto last Monday.
The Blue Jays are 2-1 on this current road trip after winning Sunday’s finale in Detroit, 4-1. Good win considering both George Springer and rookie Kazuma Okamoto got the game off for rest.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke out of a power slump with his third homer of the year Sunday and first since April 20. It was a laser beam that was hit at 105.1 mph to left field with only a 16-degree launch angle off the bat. That’s the lowest launch angle on any home run hit in MLB this season.
Lefty Patrick Corbin, who is from New York state, takes the mound Monday. The 36-year-old has been a pleasant surprise at 1-1 wit a 3.93 ERA in seven starts. Corbin doesn’t go deep into games at this point or strike many guys out, so he has to depend largely on his defence.
Corbin is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in seven career starts vs. the Yankees. Cody Bellinger is 11-for-27 off him but no homers. Aaron Judge is 3-for-12 with a solo shot.
New York Yankees
The Yankees let one get away Sunday at the New York Mets, blowing a 6-3 lead entering the bottom of the ninth and losing 7-6 in 10 innings. Closer David Bednar allowed a three-run shot for the tie. The Yankees used six different relievers, so they might be short-handed in the bullpen Monday.
The team is missing three regulars in the lineup who are on the IL in second baseman Jazz Chisholm, shortstop Jose Caballero and DH Giancarlo Stanton, who is pretty much always hurt these days.
Lefty Ryan Weathers, in his first season with the club, starts on the mound Monday. He’s off to one of the best starts of his career at 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA. Weathers threw six hitless innings last time out vs. Baltimore but then allowed one in the seventh and finished with a no-decision in 6.1 innings.
Weathers won his only career start vs. Toronto in the 2024 season while with Miami as he allowed one run and three hits over 6.1 innings at Rogers Centre. No Blue Jays batter has homered off him.
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